In Texas, a startup developing vegan leather from kombucha waste has closed a $1.1-million seed funding. Bucha Bio will use the funds to support development and commercialization for its process, which converts bacterial nanocellulose left over from kombucha production into its Shorai and Hikari biobased materials. It expects to make Hikari, a translucent material, available […]
In Illinois, a producer of vegan leather made from agricultural waste has added multiple brands to its Footwear Collective for promoting the use of biobased, low-carbon materials in shoes that that “return to the earth” when discarded. Natural Fiber Welding reports that New Balance, Wolverine Worldwide, Camper, Deckers and Allbirds have joined the sustainable shoe […]
In the United Kingdom, Eco Green Living is selling compostable diapers made from bamboo. Developed in partnership with Eco Boom, the company hopes the nappies help address the almost 3 billion disposable diapers that are thrown out in the UK annually. Conventional plastic diapers can take up to 500 years to break down, releasing greenhouse […]
In Switzerland, supermarket chain Migros has introduced the world’s first capsule-less coffee system for coffee pod machines. Dubbed CoffeeB, the convenient and eco-friendly alternative to the ubiquitous—and wasteful—Keurig-style coffee pods uses a natural and compostable encapsulating material produced by Delica. The material also protects against oxygen loss, ensuring your cup of joe stays fresh. “With […]
In San Francisco, Prolific Machines has emerged from stealth mode and announced $42 million in funding for its scalable cultivated meat platform. Backers in the “massively oversubscribed” seed and Series A financings include a long list of major foodtech investors and celebrities. The seed round was led by Arvind Gupta at Mayfield, the first investor […]
In Berlin, watchmaker Lilienthal Berlin has designed a watch made from used coffee grounds that it claims retains that invigorating smell for quick aromatherapy pick-me-ups on the go. The timepiece, named Coffee Watch, retails for $349 and is available in colors like Americano and Macchiato. It uses material invented by Kaffeeform, a German company that […]
In France, a startup is converting mussel byssus—the threadlike extensions mussels use to adhere to rocks—into textile fibers. Founded just 13 months ago by Robin Maquet and Florence Baron, Bysco has partnered with the region’s mussel farmers and aims to produce 35,000 square feet of the material within the next two years. Bysco meets demand […]
In France, animal-free dairy protein startup Standing Ovation has closed a an oversubscribed €12 million (US$12 million) Series A financing round, with participation from several leading foodtech VCs. The company will use the cash to accelerate development and scaleup of animal-free casein and cheese substitutes as well as begin the regulatory approval process. The round […]
In Switzerland, food and beverage giant Nestlé will begin piloting production of animal-free dairy proteins at a recently inaugurated R&D Accelerator. Using precision fermentation technology developed by California’s Perfect Day, the proteins are identical to whey found in cow’s milk but are more environmentally friendly to produce. “As the world’s largest food and beverage company, […]
In San Francisco, renewable footwear pioneer Allbirds has expanded its material slate into rice hulls and citrus peels with a new sneaker called Plant Pacer. Available for $135, the vegan leather shoe is made with Mirum, an agricultural waste-based material produced by Natural Fiber Welding, an Illinois-based startup Allbirds invested $2 million in last year. […]
